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iPhone® Device Water Damage: What To Do If Your iPhone Device Gets Wet

Let’s be honest with ourselves – we love our iPhone devices! They keep us connected to our close friends, family and the world at large. And we pay a lot of money to keep connected. What happens when these beloved devices get wet? Well, in most cases, panic sets in fast.

If you have ever witnessed a friend being thrown into a pool with their phone in their hands or if you have ever dropped your phone in a puddle on a rainy day, you know all about that panic. Water can make an iPhone device useless fairly quickly. Important components can become damaged and in most cases, water damage voids any warranty that you may have. Before panic sets in, there are a few steps that you can take to prevent lasting water damage to your iPhone device.

Think About the Liquid

You might find yourself enjoying a relaxing weekend at a friend’s pool or on a great tropical vacation one day. Keeping this in mind, the water found within lakes and rivers or even the ocean contains minerals and small grains of dirt and sand. Once your phone dries, these particles can cause more damage to your iPhone device components. Bringing it in to Experimac McKinney and letting our local experts dry and clean your phone will ensure that all these foreign particles are not a problem in the long run.

Rice Is Not King

Although many have tried it, do not bother putting your iPhone device in a bag of rice. Dry, uncooked conventional rice will do nothing to help your phone dry out. If it turns back on after being put in the rice, it had nothing to do with the rice. You pretty much wasted the cups of rice your put your phone into as well as some very valuable time.

Act Quickly! Power Down, Dry It Off, Leave It Alone

As the panic sets in, it is critical to remove your iPhone device from the liquid right away and power it down immediately. Water and other liquids can short-circuit electronics so you don’t want it soaking in the water. Immediately turning off your iPhone device will minimize the chances of internal components being short circuited. If applicable, remove and dry the SIM card as well. Resist the urge to power your iPhone device back on! Instead, dry it off with a clean cloth focusing on the headphone jack and charge port.

Grab your iPhone device and head to Experimac McKinney; we will immediately get the ball rolling with our unique process. The sooner you bring the phone in to our location, the greater the chance that we can save your phone. This is critical because the more time passes, the more likely it is that components inside your phone may begin to corrode as a result of their exposure to water. We will assess the extent of the iPhone device’s water damage and see if there is any way that we can save your phone. Our first step is to carefully dry any excess liquid and then we gently scrub and remove any corrosion found on and inside your iPhone device. We will then remove the logic board and soak the phone in 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol for at-least 15 minutes to clean and dry it out thoroughly. This is why bringing in your iPhone device right away can make a world of difference.

Find Comfort In The Fact That All Is Not Lost

If we are not able to save the device, we have a large inventory of pre-owned iPhone devices at reasonable prices that you can purchase to replace your damaged iPhone device. Remember that if you’ve been backing your phone up on the iCloud® service or on your Mac® computer at home, you should have nothing to worry about because all of your beloved contacts, photos, etc. should be there and can be moved into your new phone easily.

Get Familiar With Your Warranty

Take a moment now, while your phone is working well, to review the terms of your warranty so you’ll know what you’re entitled to if you’re ever in this situation. Water damage to your iPhone device voids your manufacturer’s warranty including any additional AppleCare® warranty coverage you may have purchased. Some third party insurance companies will cover submersion, spills, and accidental drops. If you are covered, consider filing a claim with your insurance company. Again, taking action quickly and bringing your phone in to Experimac McKinney right away can be the critical factor! So remember, when you or someone you know has the awful experience of watching their much loved iPhone go for a swim, Experimac’s local experts are here to save the day!